October, 2018
Conference Organizer: AIGA Design Educators
Conference Location: Portland, OR
Co-Organized a panel on the topic of Creative Placemaking (with David Frisco)
Creative Placemaking describes the process of energizing communities through place-based art and cultural activities, and communication designers often contribute their expertise to this process by helping to shape built environments in ways that measurably impacts communities. In this panel, we will discuss various strategies and disciplines that contribute to effective Creative Placemaking. We will look for panelists who engage communities with tried-and-true methods as well as provocative social practices that might reshape the role of the designer to include Creative Placemaking....
January, 2014
Conference Organizer: International Design and Emotion Society
Conference Location: Bogota, Columbia
Presented two papers: one called “ZoneA/Zone1: Reflection/Resilience,” a 13-week classroom investigation into community based resiliency efforts and awareness in NYC one year after Superstorm Sandy. A second paper called “Triggers: Using Design to Change Behavior”, a 16-week project during which students were charged with the task of using design to change personal habits. The paper details the methodology, examples of students following that methodology, and it features some of the final results from the projects, and links to a website were all of the projects can be found....
October, 2010
Conference Organizer: AIGA Design Educators
Conference Location: Toledo, OH
Presented the paper “Designing for Social Change” in which I introduced eight community engagements strategies. Together the strategies illustrate a way to work efficiently with communities using graphic design to address complex social problems. The paper serves as an introduction to my book, “Designing for Social Change,” which will include these and other strategies that were used during 20 community-based graphic design projects....